Separation
by Amy Suzi G
Summary: Sequel to The Manc Lion Tamed – I would advise reading that before hand. Gene and Alex get torn apart. Will they make it back to each other?
1. Separation

Chapter One : Separation.

A couple of months had past since Gene and Alex's engagement. Everyone at the station and in CID knew, it was a little hard to try and hide it, they couldn't take their eyes off each other. The lads thought The Gene Genie had gone soft, but Shaz loved it, she thought it was great they had found happiness together. They had considered getting a house together but had ultimately decided that with them working so closely together they sometimes needed time apart. They hadn't set a date for the wedding yet either, they were just taking it one step at a time.

It was on one fateful Tuesday morning that it was all going to change. The day started as normal, just the usual small cases on the go that you always got with living in a city. That was until they got a call at about 10 o'clock saying a bank robbery was in progress and needed immediate attention. Gene, Ray, Chris, Alex and a group of uniformed officers made their way to the bank in question and parked up round the corner so as not to be seen. Gene ordered the uniform round the back to cut off any possible escape route they might have.

As they waited for uniform to get into place they quickly ran over a plan between them, if you can call it a plan. Alex knew this 'plan' was disastrous and someone was going to get hurt, "Guv if you go in there guns blazing not only might you loose them but someone might get injured or worse killed." Gene just waved her off, "have done this plenty of times before Bolls and has always worked out fine. Trust the Gene Genie." It took all of her strength to not shout at him and try and beat some sense into him, she loved him with all her heart but he could still piss her off no end. So instead she just sighed, shook her head and followed behind them as the slowly made their way over to the bank.

They lined up with their backs against the wall just next to the bank allowing Gene to poke his head round the corner and see what was happening in the bank. "Right, from what I can see there are three of them. They all seem to have a gun of some sort. Two are by the counters keeping an eye on the staff and customers and the other one was going off with some other bloke in a suite. I'm guessing going to the vault." Well this was going to be good fun, back in proper times they would no way be able to go storm troopering into a bank with just 4 police officers and no bullet proof vests on. Just goes to show how much policing has changed.

They tried as stealthily as possible make their way into the bank, they just managed to get in and hide behind various different pieces of furniture without being seen. They hoped they had the advantage of surprise, if they didn't this was going to end very quickly and not very well for them. All eyes were on Gene waiting for him to give them there signal, he counted down on his fingers. 3……2…….1…… With that they all jumped up from their hiding places, all guns trained on the two robbers in front of them. For a second it looked like they were going to give up, but they turned the guns towards them and they both got a shot in the foot for their troubles. They both landed on the floor like lead weights. They were all thinking the same things, wanting them to rot in jail so not going for the kill shot.

They also knew that the other robber would have hard their gun shots, he would either come to investigate or try and make a run for it. A few minutes had past and they figured he must have managed to get away some how, so they began getting the staff and customers out and handing the two robbers over to uniform. Just as they thought they were in the clear Alex saw Gene, Ray and Chris freeze. What was wrong with them? They raised there guns to a point just over her shoulder, just as she spun round to see what they were aiming at she herd several shots ring out.

She stood shocked for a couple of seconds trying to understand what had happened. She brought her hand up to her stomach and as she pulled it away it was covered in blood, her blood. She landed on her knees with a loud thump and fell backward on the unforgiving floor on the bank. She heard faint shouting and running feet. In the edged of her vision she saw Gene, Ray and Chris surround her. Gene fell to his knees beside her and pulled her towards his body, "I'm so sorry Bolly, I should have listened to you, you were right." With her last ounce of strength she raised her hand to rest against his cheek, "I love you," and she let the darkness consume her.

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Hope you liked the first chapter. As always reviews would be great, good or bad, they help so much.


	2. What is reality?

A/N: Second chapters up. Sorry it's a bit steady, it's a necessary evil. Hope you still enjoy it though. It will hopefully pick up again next chapter. Let me know what you think.

Chapter Two : What is reality?

She was surrounded by darkness, no matter which way she turned all she could see was……. Well nothing. Surely this wasn't it, this wasn't the end. She was in some sort of no place, it wasn't 2008 but it wasn't 1981 either. She could feel herself start to panic, could feel it gradually reaching the surface, her hands started to shake and she started to franticly run round. But no matter how much she tried to escape the darkness it followed her every step. This was it, she was stuck here, stranded.

She was just starting to give up hope when she saw miniscule speck of light in one direction, thought which direction she couldn't say. Was it up, down, left or right? She had moved that many times she had lost track. She tried moving towards it and was relived that it was getting bigger. Was this her way out. But way out to where? Would she wake up in 2008, back in 1981 or in some other time?

Just as she was about to be consumed by the bright light she felt herself go light headed and passed out again. 'Please don't let me wake up in the darkness again' she thought to herself. She didn't know what she would do if she did. Would this be some endless circle? Wake up in the darkness, walk to the light, pass out and wake up in the darkness again. Was this meant to be some sort of punishment? But punishment for what, leaving Molly alone?

She could feel herself start to gradually gain consciousness again, but all she could see was the darkness again. Just as she was about to panic again the darkness started to recede and she felt her eye lids flutter. She was waking up! But waking up where?

She tried with all her might to open her eyes and on the third attempt it worked. But the light that greeted her was so blinding she had to close them again. After opening them a couple more times and half squinting she had got used to the light enough to keep them open. She could see clean white walls, hear the beeping of an ECG machine and nurses talking in the back round. She was in 2008, she was sure of it.

She was overjoyed and depressed at the same time. How could someone even feel those emotions at the same time. She had finally made it back to Molly after trying so hard to get back, when she had given up and though it impossible to get back. But in doing so, in arriving back in 2008 she had lost the love of her life, her one true love. Gene Hunt.

Was she now dead in 1981 or was she in a coma like she was here? Would gene be sat at her bedside waiting for her to wake up? Or would it be as if she had never existed, as if they had never fallen in love, had never got engaged? These and a million other questions were wising round in her head.

She was brought back to the present by a voice in the corridor that she most definitely recognised. Molly. Two seconds later Molly bounded into the room and flung herself at Alex wrapping her arms tightly round her neck. Alex returned the hug with as much strength as she could manage, which at the minute wasn't much.

As she was released from the embrace she saw Evan standing by the door with a very relieved albeit slightly worn down look on his face. No words needed to be exchanged between them, the looks said it all.

A week later she was released from hospital with strict orders to take it easy for the next couple of months. She was given 3 month off work to recuperate and get back to full strength. This would give her lots of time to catch up with Molly and get back into the 2008 way of life. To start with it was a big shock compared to her life in 1981. Sometimes she would have to remind herself that Molly was here and she also had her to look after as well as herself. Her wardrobe was another shocker, she had got so used to her 1981 clothes, all bright colours and tight fitting jeans. Her leather jacket, god she would miss that jacket, maybe she would get one made. Where as her wardrobe here was full of boring black, blue or grey suits for work and the odd pair of jeans for off duty time. That was definitely going to change.

So far the first week had gone smoothly. She had regained some of her strength, but she was still a lot weaker than normal. Evan was taking Molly to school and picking her up. He was being suck a great help, she didn't know what she would do without him. But it was things like that that made her wonder if what happened in 1981 were real. Did he really have an affair with her mother? When she got back to work at the station she would look through the records and see if she could find anyone from her stint in 1981. But if they were real and there were records of them all could she stand to see and hear about Gene and not be able to be there with him? At least she had three months to ponder the topic and come to some sort of conclusion.


	3. Understanding

A/N : A huge thanks for all the reviews, they are a great help. Keep them coming and let me know what you think.

Chapter Three : Understanding.

Molly loved having her mum back, it was great. For the few days she was gone she felt so empty and alone, sure she had Evan with her, but no one could replace her mum. That's why she was getting so worried. Every night when her mum though she had gone to bed she would hear her crying, and she would also hear the name Gene. Who was Gene? That would last for about an hour before she fell asleep still crying. She had never heard her mum talk of someone called Gene before and if he was so important that she would cry over him every night why hadn't she told her about him.

This had been happening ever since she had come out of hospital and Molly had had enough of not knowing what was going on. She had confronted her mum a few times about it and she had just skimmed over it saying it was nothing and would go away in time. But now she wanted proper answers, not just for her but she wanted to be able to help her mum. She couldn't go through the rest of her life crying every night.

The next night she heard her mum crying again and decided that it was time. She got out of bed a tiptoed to her mum's bedroom door and squeezed through. She went over to the bed and perched herself on the edge next to her mum.

Alex was brought out of her crying session when she felt the bed dip. Who was that? It wouldn't be Molly she was asleep, wasn't she? She sat up in bed and saw Molly perched on the edge of the bed and she began franticly drying her eyes, she didn't want Molly to see her cry.

"It's ok mum, really. I know you cry every night." Molly sounded a lot older than her years sometimes, this was one of those times.

A watery smile appeared on Alex's face. Where would she be without Molly, well she knew exactly where and that was something she really didn't want to think about. "Thank-you sweetheart. I would be lost without you. You know that don't you?" As Molly nodded she pulled her into a tight hug, both of the relishing in the physical contact, just to prove that they were both there.

Pulling away from the hug Molly looked up into her mums watery eyes. "Mum who's Gene?" She wasn't going to take no explanation as an answer this time.

She looked down into Molly's face, she recognised that look. She had no way out of this other than to tell the truth, Molly wouldn't let anything less pass. God this was going to be an interesting conversation and she would probably end up wearing a straight jacket at the end of it. She took in a deep calming breath and began the long explanation. She explained what happened when she had left Molly, about Layton being in her car and about getting shot in the head and waking up in the miraculous world of 1981. She talked about where she lived and the brilliant Luigi, CID, all the people she worked with and last but most certainly not least. Gene. Tears started to well up in her eyes again as she talked about him with such passion and love.

She managed to keep the tears in check while she finished off her story of how she made it back hear after being shot in 1981. There that was it, that was her mad story of her time in 1981. Now Molly would either accept it thinking it could be explained some how, or she would think she had gone crazy and call the men in white coats. Which would it be?

Molly sat there trying to digest all of what her mother had just told her. It was mental, how could all of that happen? She was only in a coma for a few days, yet she had lived for several months in that strange world. And Gene, she had been torn away from him when they were obviously so much in love with each other, she had lost all that to come back to her. But where would her mum rather be. Here she had…… well her, that was about it really. But in 1981 she had friends, she would go out and enjoy herself and most of all she had Gene. There and then Molly decided she would do what ever she could to get her mum back to Gene and hopefully taking her in the process. She would like to meet this Gene character, he sounded like a right blast.

Molly's and Alex's eyes met. They could read each other's faces like a book, Molly didn't think her mum was crazy, and she was going to help her get back. They pulled each other into a huge hug, neither of them wanting to let go.

They sat up most of the night talking about everything in much more detail. Now they were trying to figure out what the catalysts were, what made her go there and what made her come back. They were now in the living room and had books strewn all over the floor along with Sam Tyler's case file. Comparing anything they could find in books and to Sam's and Alex's experiences.

They couldn't find a great deal in the books, just a few things here and there. But there were a lot of similarities between Sam and Alex's experiences. Both of them had gone either way by some form of traumatic experience. Sam got there by being hit by a car, Alex got there by a gunshot wound to the head. After Sam came back to the present he almost recreated the impact that sent him there in the first place to go back. Both of his were bodily trauma's, being hit by a car and his body hitting the floor from several stories up. And the same happened with Alex, a gunshot wound sent her to 1981 and a gunshot wound brought her back to 2008.

When she went through it in her head it sounded crazy, but it looked like if she wanted to go back she would have to get shot again, except it would have to be permanent or she would just come back here again. Ok this was starting to sound a little too drastic. Looking down at Molly she looked like she had come to the same conclusion as she had. This wasn't the first time Alex had thought she is a little to smart for her own good. Except Molly was smiling, did she think this was a good idea?

Molly's mind only worked a few seconds behind her mum's, she was definitely her mother's daughter. But if this was what needed to be done to make her mum happy and whole again, then she would do it. It was breaking her heart to see her mum like this, she deserved to be happy and enjoy her life.


	4. Leap of faith

A/N : Thanks again to my fantastic reviewers. Just a short chapter this time to set the story line up. Still hope you enjoy it and as always keep them reviews coming, they are a massive help.

Chapter Four : Leap of faith.

They had ultimately decided that to get Alex back to 1981 she would have to take another gunshot wound, but it would have to be a fatal one so she could permanently stay in 1981. But Alex also had the task of figuring out how to get Molly there. She couldn't believe she was going to risk her daughter's life to get back to 1981. But Molly being the brilliant being that she is seemed so stubborn about it, she was definitely going back with her, even if they didn't make it there. The easiest way would probably be for her to get shot as well.

They decided on the day, time and place and said their own little goodbye's to there friends without raising any alarm. She wrote a letter to Evan saying they were both sorry but this was the only way they would be truly happy. She thanked him for all the love and time he had put into bring up both her and Molly, she tried to explain just how lost she would have been without him, both when she was younger and helping out with Molly.

Alex hoped that if they were touching they would go back to the same time. She really did hope that theory worked, she couldn't bare the thought that now she has got Molly back she might lose her again. No, she had to think positive, 'this was going to work.' They had decided upon an alleyway near the hospital, so hopefully when they arrived in 1981 Alex would already be there from her gun shot wound and Molly would then be near by to make her way to the hospital.

In the alleyway they held hands taking deep calming breaths. Both of them were trembling, but trying so hard to hide it from the other. And gun was held between them with there other hands. They locked eyes with each other. This could either by the last time they saw each other, or they would see each other again in just a short space of time. They were both hoping for the latter. Molly would go first, Alex couldn't bare the thought of Molly having to kill her mum then kill herself. Not that this was going to be easy. Killing your child is no easy thing. Molly was being so brave it blew her away, she was acting so much older than her years, not just with this bit of it, but the whole thing, she has taken it all in her stride and done what ever was necessary to get to this point.

After taking in one final breath Alex raised the gun to Molly's head whilst holding her hand with her other one. Their eyes locked on each other, never faltering. "I love you mum. See you in 81." Her voice held a slight tremble but no where near as much as Alex's was. "I love you too sweetheart. See you soon. I promise." And with that a gunshot sounded through the alley. No doubt people would call the police and people would coming running so she had to make this quick, it also gave her less time to think about what she has just done.

Alex looked up towards the heavens letting a silent prayer be taken up to what ever God might be looking down on her. 'Please let this work. Please let Molly be ok. And let us never be kept apart again and I will never ask for anything again.' After finishing her little prayer she lifted the gun to her own head. Took a steadying breath and pulled the trigger. A second gunshot sounded in the alleyway sending two people on an adventure and hopefully taking them where they wanted to be.


End file.
